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By Root 579 0

because of its versatility. It’s got a vast, open, non-stick plain just begging for pancakes, fried eggs, bacon, free-form crepes, pan-seared steak, and more. The thermostat keeps the oil at just the right temperature for frying, too. And best of all, even top-of-the-line models rarely cost more than thirty dollars. When shopping, look for a 12-inch model with a calibrated thermostat, sturdy design, and a tall, tight-fitting lid with an adjustable steam vent.

If I want a steak and it’s too hot in the kitchen already and I don’t have time to fire up the grill, I’ll take my electric skillet out on the screened-in porch and sear away from the comfort of my lounge chair. Not all out-of-kitchen cooking experiences have to involve a grill. I’m a big fan of electricity. Besides my electric skillet I have a nice big electric griddle, and a Crock Pot—and an electric fryer—and a toaster—and a toaster oven—and a microwave. With the exception of the microwave all the items in this list come in stove-top models. What I like about the electrical angle is control and convenience. All these devices come with thermostats, so I don’t have to fiddle too much with heat maintenance.

Tool Talk

Tongs

There’s a reason restaurant cooks call tongs their “hands.” There’s an awful lot of hot stuff in the kitchen, and there’s no better device for manipulating that stuff than spring-loaded tongs. I advocate having two pairs: a short pair for the kitchen and a long pair for the grill. Go for blunt scalloped edges, which will give you purchase without tearing; avoid those with locks, which lock up on you only when you don’t want them to. For easy storage, slip tongs inside the cardboard tube from a roll of paper towels to prevent them from opening. Tongs need not be expensive and restaurant supply stores carry them in every size imaginable.

Cooling Rack

I have a large, heavy-duty rack that fits over a large baking sheet and spans my sink. It would be hard for me to overstate my affection for this medievally simple device. Besides for cooling baked goods, I use this rack as a draining area for fried foods as well as foods I’m purging, such as eggplant or cabbage for slaw. I ovendry tomatoes on it, and on the rare occasion when I make fresh pasta I lay it on this rack to dry. When dry-aging beef in the fridge, my rack keeps it out of its own juices. When rack hunting avoid those with unidirectional wires and go with a heavy wire weave. Be sure to look for racks that have a tightly woven grid and are designed with support underneath to prevent sagging when weighted.

Heat-Resistant Rubber Spatulas

These are actually made of silicone rubber and although they’re a little pricey, you could stir lava with them. My favorites, made by Rubbermaid, have red handles signifying their heat-friendly nature. I see no reason to ever scramble eggs or stir a custard without one of these devices.

Heavy-Duty Stainless Steel Bowl With a Nearly Round Bottom

Heavy-duty means 18/8 or 18/10 stainless-steel construction. The ratios refer to the percentages of the components in the steel. In the case of 18/10, you’ve got 18 percent chromium (lending corrosion resistance and luster) and 10 percent nickel (a soft metal added to steel to give it malleability). Seeing those fractions embossed on the bowl means that you’ve got good stuff. Also, look for smooth rather than rolled edges, which often signal an easily warped vessel. Although you want the bowl to be stable on a counter, the rounder the inside of the bowl the better. And the nearly round bottom is important because then the bowl and the whisk share the same profile enabling the whisk to do its job easily and well.

Digital Scale

Volume measures are fine for liquids and small amounts of dry goods (a tablespoon or two) but if you want precision you must weigh. There are basically three types of scales: balance, spring, and digital. Balance scales are accurate and durable, but darned expensive and tricky to read. Spring scales, which utilize springs and levers, are widely available and